Every year my husband travels to Anaheim to a big music trade show for work. Every year I somehow convince him to let us tag along and do Disney. I mean, his hotels always end up being minutes away from Disneyland. How can we NOT go, right?

Three years ago I went to Disneyland alone with my first as a toddler, and that was totally fine. Doing Disney with two kids takes a bit more planning, but it’s possible and totally doable.

Wondering if you can take your two young kids on your own to Disneyland? Below you’ll find some tips and a list of rides that we did and worked for us. My boys are three and six years old.

  • Try to plan your visit during off-peak to avoid crowds and long line-ups.  I recommend visiting Disneyland during their lowest attendance times: January (except New Year’s Day) until just before Presidents’ week in February, the week following Labor Day until just before Thanksgiving week or the week following Thanksgiving until the week before Christmas.
  • Take advantage of slow weekdays. We were there from Tuesday-Sunday and the weekdays were the best. The weekend was busy and more crowded, especially in the afternoons.
  • When you arrive at Disneyland locate the Lost Children Center and get a sticker for your child. You can put your name and phone number on it.  (In case your children gets separated from you at any point)
  • Get a good double stroller that is easy to manage. I took our Caboose Ultralight Tandem Stroller, and it was perfect for us. It kept my boys close to me when navigating crowds and it was easy to maneuver. Whenever my eldest got tired he was able to stand or sit and take a break, in general, it was a great stroller for their ages.

Caboose Ultralight Tandem Stroller

  • Stay at the Disneyland Resort If Possible.  Staying close to Disneyland means being able to walk to Disneyland every morning and then again to go back to the hotel for naps. No need to take a bus. If you are staying at a Disney resort hotel, then be sure to take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours. Extra Magic Hours for Disneyland Resort Hotel Guests allows early admission to one theme park on select days.

List of rides that one adult and two kids under seven years old can do together at Disneyland

FANTASYLAND:

  • King Arthur Carrousel
  • Casey Jr. Circus Train
  • Dumbo the Flying Elephant
  • Mad Tea Party
  • Storybook Land Canal Boats
  • “It’s a small world.”
  • Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
  • Snow White’s Scary Adventures
  • Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
  • Alice in Wonderland
  • Peter’s Pan Flight

CRITTER COUNTRY:

  •  The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

ADVENTURELAND

  • Jungle Cruise 
  • Tarzan’s Treehouse
  • Enchanted Tiki Room

NEW ORLEANS SQUARE

  • Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Haunted Mansion

MICKEY’S TOONTOWN

  • Goofy’s Playhouse
  • Donal’s Boat
  • Chip’n Dale Treehouse
  • Disneyland Railroad
  • Mickey’s House and Meet Mickey
  • Minnie’s House
  • Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin

TOMORROWLAND

  • Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
  • Disneyland Monorail
  • Autopia
  • Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

List of rides that one adult and two kids under seven years old can do together at Disney’s California Adventure Park:

PARADISE PIER

  • Golden Zephyr 
  • The Little Mermaid-Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
  • King Triton’s Carousel
  • Toy Story Midway Mania
  • Mickey’s Fun Wheel (Ferris wheel)

CARS LAND

  • Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters
  • Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree

A BUG’S LAND

  • Francis’ Ladybug Boogie 
  • Flik’s Flyers
  • Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train

HOLLYWOOD LAND

  • Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
  • Turtle Talk with Crush
  • Sorcerer’s Workshop
  • Frozen Live
  • Disney Junior, Live on Stage.

As you can see from the list above we were able to go on many rides and did a lot of fun things. In the evenings I left our toddler in the hotel with my husband and went back to the parks with my eldest to do some of the thrilling rides with him. That wasn’t necessary, but it was fun for him as he did some for the very first time. I asked him about his favourite rides from this trip, and he had two:  Pirates of the Caribbean and Soarin’!

Some video highlights from our Disneyland visit

Helpful links:

All Disneyland Rides & Attractions

All Disney’s California Adventure Park Rides & Attractions

FastPass System Info

Height Requirements for All Attractions

Disneyland Maps

Park Hours

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Disclosure: I received complimentary park passes from Disney during our visit.  However all views and opinions are 100% my own.